Everything condensed on the main guide, laid out in full here: exactly what to expect each phase, why electrolytes matter more than willpower in week one, and which symptoms are normal adaptation versus an actual red flag.
GuideFull Food List & Meals
You are hereHow to Start: 14-Day Plan
GuideSide Effects & Troubleshooting
Before You Start
- Review your current medications and recent lab history with a doctor if you’re diabetic, on blood pressure medication, or have kidney disease
- Clear out the obvious high-carb trigger foods so willpower isn’t doing all the work in week one
- Stock protein, low-carb vegetables, salt, and a few genuinely simple meals
- Plan your electrolyte strategy before day one, not after the headache starts
- Decide upfront whether you’re doing a fast or gradual entry — see the three approaches below
If you take an SGLT2 inhibitorTalk to your prescriber before starting. Combined with very-low-carb eating, this class of medication carries a specific risk of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis — ketoacidosis without the high blood sugar that normally serves as a warning sign.
Choose Your Approach
Drop carbs to keto-range immediately. Reaches ketosis fastest, but the first week is typically the hardest under this approach.
Reduce carbohydrates gradually over 1–2 weeks rather than all at once. Slower to reach full ketosis, but noticeably easier to stick with.
A more precisely measured approach, appropriate when keto is being used for a specific clinical reason rather than general weight loss.
The Full 14-Day Plan
Expect water loss, hunger swings, fatigue, and headache as glycogen depletes and insulin drops. This is the least comfortable phase, and knowing that in advance helps.
Brain fog, nausea, dizziness, and constipation are common in this window. Almost all of it traces back to electrolytes, not carbohydrate withdrawal itself.
Hunger usually gets noticeably easier during this window. This is also the point where most people decide whether keto is actually sustainable for them.
Red flags — not just adaptationSevere vomiting, confusion, chest pain, fainting, severe weakness, or high blood sugar/ketone readings in diabetics all warrant urgent medical attention. These are not normal keto-flu symptoms to push through.
Daily electrolyte targets people commonly cite
Community and clinical sources commonly reference roughly 3–5g of sodium, 300–400mg of magnesium, and adequate potassium from food or a supplement during the adaptation window — well above standard low-carb-unadjusted guidelines. This is not personalized medical advice; check with a doctor if you have kidney disease, heart failure, or take blood pressure medication.
Ready to go deeper?
The full guide covers the evidence behind keto, the complete food list, supplement priorities, and honest risks.
Back to the Full Keto Guide
